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Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron067.txt
Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 14:08:19 EST From: RonDMoore << I was watching a old episode and Bashir mentioned how he messed up some fiber on his medical exam so he was 2nd instead of 1st in his class. Now that we know he was genetically enchanced did he mess up.>> Yes, he blew this question intentionally as he admitted in "Distant Voices." <> All I know is that Michelle wanted to pursue feature films at the time when she was offered the DS9 pilot and that she turned down the series several times. We don't feel any need to revisit the character of Ro on DS9, so I doubt that you'll see her again. <> This is a very old and very tired argument. One more time: the only thing Worf "displaced" was Kira's role as automatic first officer of the Defiant. Big deal. Does Kira still command the Defiant on occasion? Yes. Is she still First Officer of DS9? Yes. Does Worf still have to take orders from her? Yes. Is Kira still the Bajoran Liason? Yes. The entire notion that we set out to damage Kira's character by bringing aboard Worf is ridiculous. DS9 already had a security officer and his name was Odo. Kira's role as Defiant XO was not exactly at the top of her priority list so giving it to Worf seems like pretty small potatoes in the overall scheme of things. <> Let me bring you in on a little secret -- we pad everyone. Men and women. Do you think Worf's shoulders are really that big? Do you think Dukat's chest is the size of a oil drum? The costumes are often made of material that requires... er, reshaping in order to be attactive on camera, especially the Starfleet uniforms, which are so stiff and bulky that if we didn't do something with them, you'd never get any body definition whatsoever. Some actors have great bodies and some don't. We're more than happy to show off those that do and help those who need it. Patrick had a great body and was more than willing to run around in very little whenever the situation called for it. <> Last time I checked, the Federation seemed like a place where sexism and inequality do not exist. The idea that every race in the galaxy should be this way as well is silly. That's not even the way things are here on good old planet Earth. There's a wide variety of male/female relations around the globe and few of them replicate the current state of affairs in the US. This does not mean that every other culture on the face of the Earth is immoral, mysogynistic, or evil. The role of women in India and Pakistan is certainly different and in many ways, less enlightened, than in America, yet both those countries have been led by female prime ministers while America has yet to have a woman as president or even VP. There used to be a concept in Trek known as IDIC, where diversity was celebrated and cultural differences were a plus rather than a minus. It flies in the face of IDIC to say that all alien races must be judged by how closely they conform to notions fo sexual equality in the Federation or the US. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 14:27:03 EST From: RonDMoore <> Call 213-956-8301 and you'll hear a message that will tell you how to get the basic script guidelines, which will answer most of your questions. <> Not yet. <> Not as many out and out romance-based stories, but we'll still be doing them, yes. <> It takes me away from the work and yet makes me think critically about the show at the same time. I also just like the interaction with people who watch and appreciate the work we do here. <> The cloaking device does not work so well on every ship. It uses a lot of power and probably can't be adapted to just any ship. <> Too soon to say. <> I have no idea. <> I think Alexander understands Worf's reasons for joining the House of Martok. <> It's been brought up, but we're probably not going to do it. <> We haven't mentioned the Beta quadrant in so long that I think people would get confused if we suddenly started referring to it. The Alpha quadrant is firmly planted in the audience's mind as where the Fed, the Klingons, and the Roms all live so I think we'll stick with that nomenclature. <> We've got some baseball references coming up. <> Yes. <> Still no official word on season 7. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 14:47:52 EST From: RonDMoore <> I don't recall ever making the "that's how it is in Human warrior societies" argument. I have said that applying contemporary *American* values to fictional alien cultures is a mistake. If you follow that line of reasoning, every alien culture in the galaxy would have to work like ours does and that would make for a pretty boring series. I still find it odd that people will look at a race like the Klingons and complain about the sexism, but seem completely unconcerned about the fact that they're also: -- a blood-thirsty race bent on conquest. -- a people who seem flagrantly racist with regards to other beings. -- a planet ruled by an unelected oligarchy with little or no redress for its citizens. -- a culture that glorifies violence in all its forms. -- a society built around worship of and obedience to a warrior cult. -- a place where children are blamed for the sins of their parents. But somehow, if they just treated women a little better they'd be perfectly acceptable as role-models? While I do want to bring more balance into the way that Klingon women are portrayed and show them as equal partners in Klingon society, I also think that there's a fair amount of PC (political correctness, not Picard-Crusher) involved in some of the complaints here. Why are all the above-mentioned flaws in the Klingon Empire just fine, but sexism is not? Racism is okay? Love of violence is okay? Militarism is okay? It seems as if there's a portion of the audience that will turn a blind eye to anything so long as the sexual politics are brought into line of current American thinking and that seems to be tinged by more than a little PC to me. <> We've talked about linking (no pun intended) the Changelings to the race seen in "The Chase," but I think we've abandoned that idea. <> We do think out how a character arc like the one involving Odo will affect future episodes, but sometimes our thinking changes mid-stream or evolves into something else as the specific episodes come into focus. << I have noted that Mr. Brooks has not been signed for a( hopeful) 7th season..If he did'nt, would the show go on, and would one of the regular become commander, or would you hire another actor?>> I'd rather not speculate on this. The question of who will and who won't be in the potential 7th year is premature at this point. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 14:59:58 EST From: RonDMoore <> Just wanted to repost this and say, "Right on, baby!" <> You're asking the wrong guy. <> That would seem to be the case. <> I doubt it. <> We wanted something to emphasize that the time of Kirk and Co. was coming to an end and there was literally a next generation taking over. Meeting Sulu's daughter was something that would bring that home to Kirk as he stepped aboard an all new Enterpirse (same goes for Chekov's daughter, which was our original thought). <> The destruction of the E-D was something we'd been thinking about for over a year. The crash sequence was an idea we'd come up with back in the sixth season and the movie seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it justice on screen. It also seemed to fit into the theme of loss and mortality, but I will grant you that there should've been a bigger impact on Picard at the end of the picture. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 15:13:42 EST From: RonDMoore <> Yes. <> Dukat's wife does not figure into "Waltz" and I'm not sure if we'll bring her into the series or not. <> We haven't done anything with Gowron yet. <> Yep, there's nothing more exciting than a relationship that consists solely of the following: DAX: Benjamin, Worf and I are getting married. It'll be on a Thursday. SISKO: Congratulations. Now, let's TECH the TECH on that space anomaly. Sounds great. <<-I'm really tired of the complaints that Dax is a bimbo, or a jerk, or a mindless adjunct to Worf because she's in love and sometimes does light-hearted things. I thought that her jumping into Worf's arms was funny and charming; neither Sisko nor Martok was offended--why are you? Haven't you ever been so glad to see someone that you ran up and grabbed them in front of God and everybody? It was a very sweet moment, and very much in character, and as none of them was on duty, there's no breach of military discipline going on. It was very much a Dax thing to do. Part of her personality is her playfulness, her teasing, her warmth, and I hope we'll continue to see as much of that as we do of the science officer, the warrior, and the very highly competent commander.>> Amen. <> Well, that's just fine for you, but I didn't see anything wrong with it and the actress didn't either. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 19:00:04 EST From: RonDMoore <> Yes. <> Majel isn't involved with the series. She is very involved in "Earth: Final Conflict" which she executive produces and is based on a pilot script by Gene. <> The notion was that the Nexus let you experience whatever you wished to experience, whether a replay of an actual event or a fantasy like Picard's X-mas scene. He was still Rene's uncle. We had discussed several sequences dealing with Soran and the Borg in the Nexus, but we never could find something we were happy with, so the whole notion was discarded. << the opening scene on Terok Nor "Behind the Lines"... where Kira and Rom are watching the fight break out...Was that scene originally written that way? Or did the director have some input into it? It was great... Kira's narration (read superbly by Nana... that could have been awful at the hands of a less talented actress) and the viewers watching the scene with her from overhead....Did the original script have us hearing Quark and Damar talking, or was it always set up the way it was shot?>> This opening was completely scripted just as you saw it. <> This has not been determined. <> This is not true. <> I find that making a detailed outline of the episode is vital before I sit down and begin working on the teleplay. The function of an outline (or "beat sheet" as we call them) is to provide the writer with a blueprint of the episode. This allows you to concentrate on executing the scenes themselves and getting the character voices right instead of worrying about what the next act is going to be about or how this show will end, or where the hell is this crazy story going anyway? That doesn't mean that you're a slave to the beat sheet. I often find myself changing the outline as I go along, throwing out some scenes, adding others, etc. but the beat sheet helps keep my eye on the ball in terms of the overall story and structure. I throw out entire first drafts and start over all the time. I just threw out the first draft of "Waltz" because I knew it wasn't working and the writing staff agreed. The second draft was much stronger and more focused. Don't be afraid to go back and rewrite. That's a huge part of the job in writing for film & TV, so get used to it and try to use it to polish your skills. I can't afford writer's block. When under the gun and something's gotta get written, I'll write something, ANYTHING and then try to fix it later. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-27 19:10:59 EST From: RonDMoore <> If it was up to me, I would've done the entire year as one long story arc, but Paramount would go crazy. But on a more positive note, the war storyline won't end with the retaking of DS9. We'll continue to deal with the war (albeit in the background for a few episodes) throughout the rest of the season. <> While we'll wrap up the current story with Odo, the larger ramifications of what's happened will continue to reverberate throughout the year. <> It was a little of both. We try to match directors to scripts whenever possible, but sometimes the normal rotation works out just as well. <> Not a lot of them, but yes, we'll be saving money through some smaller more intimate shows after the initial six. <> No unofficial word either. But the betting around here is that there will be a year 7. <> I don't think you need to call yet. There are still people waiting to hear about scripts from 1996. <> You're right. It's the Captain. <> Leeta will be in "Favor the Bold" and "Sacrifice of Angels". (I'm sure that made Catbyte's day.) <> There's a chance, but not in the near future. <> Not at the moment. Mirror Spock would've been cool though... -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-28 18:14:15 EST From: RonDMoore <> I think the VFX guys did give the effect a little bit of a TV screen quality as a sly in-joke. <> I think it was inferred that it was Tuvok, I don't think we said it explicitly (I could be wrong about this, I don't recall). We don't have any plans to mesh the crews like this again, but you never know. <> I think there are some references coming up, but no big Breen shows are planned yet. <> No. <> No. But we will be seeing someone else from Martok's family in "You are Cordially Invited..." << IMO the ideal would be: Show opens to the bridge of the defiant. Dax, chatting with sisko: Yeah, worf and I are getting married. Sisko: Thats great dax. You two make such a cute couple. Obrien: Captain! Theres an anomalous anomoly emmitting particly particles. Sisko: Scan it. etc, etc. Natural conversation, but we catch only the end of it. Therefore, I(and many other viewers) arent bored out of our skulls, we are informed that dax and worf are getting married in a natural fashion, and we have more time for spacial anomolies that pose cool moral dilemma's and such.>> There's nothing wrong with what you're suggesting, but I much prefer our way of doing things. To me, the best thing about DS9 is that it's really about the characters. It's a drama about people set against a science fiction backdrop, not the other way around. That's not to say that it's everyone's cup of tea -- it's not -- but it's what interests me as a writer. <> I thought the subject was the alleged sexism involved in our costuming and how we deliberately enhance the sexual characteristics of women and not men. I think a case can be made that bulking up men to look stronger and more physically powerful is indeed enhancing their secondary sexual characteristics. You should also note that we've never shied away from showing off the bodies of men who were fit and sexy, whether regulars or guest stars. And come on -- Dax and Kira have not been taken from A to D. <> O'Brien has presumably been decorated many times. His "demotion" from Lt. to Chief actually occured back on TNG. O'Brien had been called Chief so many times on TNG that it seemed only natural that he really was a Chief Petty Officer, regardless of what wardrobe may or may not have put on his collar up to that time. It also gave us something new to play -- the noncom. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-28 18:36:30 EST From: RonDMoore << > This has always mystified me as well. The central objection seems to be the way that Kira was introduced to Worf (in a silly holosuite outfit), but other than that.......???? <. He said that you'd know what he was talking about. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.">> I believe your husband is a Blade Runner fan. <> We haven't brought Keiko and Molly back to the station yet, but we will before this year is over. <> It's possible, but we don't have anything planned. <> To be honest, I don't have any problem with Catbyte's blunt language or her dogged defense of her position. She's entitled to take me to task for the problems she sees in the show and the way we portray the characters. I disagree with a lot of the things she says, but I have a lot of respect for the principles she defends and her refusal to be cowed. She's a valued part of this little group and even though many of her postings make me want to find out just how seriously BirdofPrey takes the rules against profanity, I'm glad she's around. <> I think my favorite uniforms were the Trek II -- VI duds. The old DS9 costumes were good, but we were very limited in what we could do with them. The big plus with the FC uniforms is the ability to actually take off the jackets, wear the vests, unzip the shirts, roll up the sleeves, etc. This functionality helps shows like "Rocks and Shoals" immensely. <> I do sometimes wish I could just sit back and enjoy it from a distance, but being in the thick of it is MUCH more rewarding. Believe me, I wouldn't trade places for a minute. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-10-28 18:56:11 EST From: RonDMoore <> We had been discussing the possibility of doing a major war with the Dominion for quite some time, so it was definitely something we were conscious of during the development of "Rapture." But we didn't know for sure that we would be able to end the season with the war or that we'd be able to do it at all, so in the back of our minds we had to keep open the possibility that the prophecies might have to mean something else one day. <> We're not sure when it will end, but it will definitely continue for well over half the season. <> I think you missed episode 27 from last season: "Sparks Fly" -- Dax and Worf spend an entire episode in bed, breaking bones and smashing consoles. During Act Three, Dax accidently hits a phase-discriminator coil with her elbow and sends a double-back-tachyon-flip-with-a-half-pike surge through the station's ODNMSG circuitry and cripples the station. Sparks start cascading from power relays all over the place, but when O'Brien tries to get power back on-line, he discovers that the sparks are actually sentient lifeforms who are just trying to communicate with us. Do we have the right to use these sparks as part of our power grid? Will Sisko use the sparks as slaves? Sisko does a lot of soul-searching before the Sp'Arhks (as they call themselves) decide that they do not belong in our world, but prefer the life of freedom and ecstasy they experience with the walls of the station. O'Brien shoves the little buggers back into the power grid, but (techs) the (tech) in such a way that our normal power requirements will no longer harm the Sp'Arhks, who are now our friends. In return, the Sp'Arhks have sworn to be careful when they come bursting out of an exploding console so as not to harm our people. (The B-story had to do with Odo morphing into several pairs of stilleto heeled shoes for Kira as a way of courting her, but I think we've beat that subject to death on these boards already...) -------- Moore, Ronald D.